Photos and video from The Charlotte Observer archives show the devastation of the 1916 flood in North Carolina, known as “The Flood by Which All Other Floods Are Measured.”

A week after Hurricane Helene overwhelmed the Southeastern U.S., homeowners hit the hardest are grappling with how they could possibly pay for the flood damage from one of the deadliest storms in recent history to hit the mainland.

As Hurricane Helene barreled across the Eastern Seaboard and inland this week, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake, the storm has exposed a grim reality for thousands of homeowners: most are not covered by flood insurance.